3D printed vaccine patches provide vaccination without injections and provide greater protection than typical vaccines

According to foreign media reports, scientists at Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have created a 3D printed vaccine patch that provides greater protection than a typical vaccine injection. The trick is to put the vaccine patch directly on the skin, and the skin is full of immune cells targeted by the vaccine.  According to a study conducted on animals, the immune response generated by the vaccine patch is 10 times greater than that of the injected vaccine. The team of scientists published the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Joseph M. DeSimone, the lead author of the research report, a 3D Printing technology entrepreneur, a professor of translational medicine and chemical engineering at Stanford University, and an emeritus professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said: “In developing this technology, we hope to help the world faster Lay the foundation for developing vaccines, with lower doses, in a painless and anxiety-free way.” The simplicity and effectiveness of vaccine patches point the way for new ways of delivering vaccines, which are painless and more traumatic than injections. Small and self-manageable. The results of the study showed that the vaccine patch produced a significant T cell and antigen-specific antibody response, which was 50 times that of subcutaneous injection. This high degree of immune response may result in a saving in dose. The use of a smaller dose of the microneedle vaccine patch can produce an immune response similar to that of a vaccine injected with a needle and a syringe. Although scientists have been studying microneedle patches for decades, the work of Carolina and Stanford University has overcome some of the past challenges: through 3D Printing, microneedles can be easily customized to develop various vaccine patches, Used for influenza, measles, hepatitis or COVID-19 vaccine.

The advantages of the vaccine patch The COVID-19 pandemic is a harsh reminder of the changes brought about by timely vaccination. But vaccination usually requires going to a clinic or hospital. There, health care providers get the vaccine from the refrigerator or freezer, inject the liquid vaccine formula into the syringe, and then inject it into the arm. Although the process seems simple, there are some problems that hinder large-scale vaccination-from the refrigeration of the vaccine to the need for highly trained professionals to inject it. However, the vaccine patch containing the vaccine-coated microneedles can be dissolved in the skin and can be transported anywhere in the world without special treatment. People can use the patch by themselves. In addition, the convenience of using vaccine patches may lead to higher vaccination rates.

Tian Shaomin, the lead author of the study on how microneedles are made and a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that in general, adapting microneedles to different vaccine types is a challenge. She said: “These problems, coupled with manufacturing challenges, can be said to have hindered the field of microneedles used for vaccine delivery.” Most microneedle vaccines use master templates to make molds. However, the molding of microneedles is not very versatile, and its disadvantages include reduced sharpness of the needle during replication. The researchers said: “Our method allows us to directly 3D print microneedles, which gives us a lot of room for design. From a performance and cost point of view, we can make the best microneedles.” These microneedles are It was produced at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill using the CLIP prototype 3D printer invented by DeSimone, which was produced by the Silicon Valley company CARBON he co-founded. This team of microbiologists and chemical engineers is continuing to innovate, formulating RNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, into microneedle patches for future testing. DeSimone said: “One of the biggest lessons we learned during the pandemic is that innovation in science and technology can determine how well the global response is. Fortunately, we have biotech and health care workers to promote it for all of us. This process has been completed.”